


A Kiss of Shadows and Wildfire - PROLOGUE

by SassyDanii



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fanfiction, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 05:28:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11141928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassyDanii/pseuds/SassyDanii
Summary: This just a little backstory to what happened to Viviana's parents when she was only a child.





	A Kiss of Shadows and Wildfire - PROLOGUE

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is simply a prologue to a story I have posted. Please read, leave a kudos and a comment about your thoughts on this. 
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> For any questions please find me on Instagram @luciensfire !!

The brilliant blue sky became obscured by the oncoming clouds. Birds shot to the sky to fly home for this storm wasn't a kind one. The clouds were black, cruel as they crept closer and closer to the meadow where an oblivious little girl sat playing with two wooden dolls.  
The grass sighed and bent to the will of the wind that weaved through, the temperature had dropped and a few fat raindrops fell from the sky. But the girl continued to play, lost in her little bubble of imagination.  
"Viviana!" A males cry, spiking the girl's attention, "Vi! Come on darling, it's starting to rain!" Only did she turn and stand, her pale ash hair now whipped around her as she clutched her dolls and raced through the grass.  
A stone cottage appeared, wisteria swayed and clung to the small verandah and the edgings of the gabled roof. She could see mother in the window preparing supper for the evening and her mighty father standing in the threshold, arms crossed and smiling, his membranous wings tightly folded behind him  
"Papa!" She squealed, her little glittery wings spreading out as she launched herself into his arms. He always caught her, his protecting arms wrapping around her in a loving embrace. He kissed her forehead as he turned and walked inside, taking her into the warm kitchen. She played with the long strands of his hair, tugging playfully and smirking. "What I say about my hair?" He reached out and tugged her hair as well.  
"Meanie!" She wiggled out of his arms, still clutching her dolls and skipped beside her mother, she was always so fascinated by her. Her face oval and skin soft like clouds. Her hair, much darker grey always pulled back in a neat braid down the length of her spine. But Viviana was always captured by the colours of her eyes like a rainbow had caught inside them. She beamed, "C-Can I help, mama?" Her voice quiet and excited. "Hm," her mother's eyes sparkled, "You can set the table with Pa." Viviana began immediately, giggling as her father poked her side occasionally.  
The table was ready in time for soup to be placed over the knitted heating mat, Viviana took her spot opposite mother, father at the head of the table.  
Outside, lightning flashed and the rolling thunder followed. Viviana felt a little panicked, frightened from the sound. Her father reached over and took her hand, "Remember what I said?" His amber eyes gentle, "No storm can bring down an Illyrian." She recited with confidence, giving him her lopsided grin.  
"That's my girl," he gave her head a bit of a ruffle and she batted his hands away with a scowl. "Oh Kaius," her mother mused, her smiling dazzling. "You know one day she'll cut your hair." Kaius only beamed more, "It would be an honour really, Claudia." He chuckled.  
Dinner was finished and Viviana played with her wooden dolls before the roaring fire, father was cleaning up and mother sat in the chair with a blanket over her legs, playing the cello. It was a soothing piece but a sad tune, mother had explained to her about the story behind it. "It's about a beautiful princess, trapped in her own palace and forced to marry a man she did not like," she said one day, "She was truly upset and begged her father to consider it. To know that she would not be happy with this man. And reason? Was that she had found someone else, who cherished her and loved her for who she was, who accepted her. The King did not like it and ordered the boy to be found and sent to the gallows, the princess wailed and begged for mercy but it was too late." Viviana had begun to tremble with fear as her mother continued, "but the King did not know that the girl had set up a trap and it was the man she was supposed to marry." Viviana had gasped and asked how. "You see, the princess had magic that the King and Queen had not known. She ran away with the boy she fell in love with and lived the life she wanted, while the King and Queen were trialled for the murder of the man." She knew it was just a fairy tale, but it still gripped her intensely.  
Viviana had started to nod off, and her mother had stopped playing and picked her up. She carried her up the stairs and into the small room. Viviana mumbled as her mother tucked her in, placing the wooden dolls on the bedside table.  
Claudia kissed her daughter's head and murmured, "Sweet dreams, my silver angel." Before she left the room, closing the door behind her.  
It was well into the early morning, the storm had subsided and calmed, only the abnormal freezing air stayed. Viv was awake, her ears had picked up angry voices below but couldn't deter what it was about. Her heart was beating hard, her shadows had emerged she could just pick up words like; "They won't come," or "Are you sure?" or "I've made sure."  
Her parents seemed weary about something, and Viv could not understand why. So she tried to urge her shadows to stay longer but with her lack of skill using her power, it drained her and she was pulled into a restless sleep. But it didn't last for long before she heard glass shattering and screaming, mixed with it was some unearthly growls.  
Viv hid under the blankets as whatever was going on downstairs escalated. A woman's cry, presumably her mother, was spine-tingling. She didn't think she was capable of reaching such a high note. Her shadows writhed around her, the sounds they picked up made Viv pale from utter fear. She thought she heard footsteps coming upstairs and ducked under her bed, shaking and holding back her cries.  
Something like wood breaking and another cry, her father this time. She wasn't even sure how to describe the next sound, it reminded her like ripping of flesh. Like when father had come home with fresh rabbits and she could hear him skin them outside.  
Then whimpering, she heard the words, "P-Please... Why..." And a dark voice, its words slurred and rough. "N-No! Don't! No-" Her father's voice was cut short when he let out an ear piercing scream. The dark voice seemed to laugh and a thud of something heavy was dropped.  
Viv stayed beneath the bed, ignoring the painful cold that seeped into her small body. Her floral dress wasn't enough. Eventually, when she thought the danger was gone, she managed to slip out from under the bed and stood. She could see the sky was growing lighter, and Dawn was approaching.  
She grabbed her two dolls for protection and headed to the door, she felt for the knob and twisted, hating that it made a creak when it swung in. Viv peaked around the door and saw nothing and tip-toed to the top of the stairs. She could not see the living space but saw the flickering light of the fire. A few paintings were strewn at the bottom and... some dark colouring on the stairs and on the railing. Her nose picked up the metallic scent and paled, knowing it was blood.  
"Mama...? Papa...?" She could barely speak, the cold seemed worse now at the foot of the stairs. But she continued on, treading lightly over the broken pieces of canvas and halted at the threshold.  
If she had the choice to pull her eyes out, she would have. The scene laid before she was... Something she could never fathom. The place was an utter mess, a heap of black mud-like substance of to the corner. The floor was smudged with to much blood when she walked she almost slipped.  
But her eyes were not drawn to the creature dead in the corner, or the strange symbols etched into the walls around... It was the body in the middle of the room. He was facing up and she took tiny, shaky steps to her father. His bare chest had deep gouges like something had torn into him, most likely the beast she spotted.  
She didn't even know when her tears started, only realising as they fell on the shredded wings. Her father told her that Illyrian wings were the most important thing, that if they were ruined the Illyrian would prefer death than to live on.  
Reaching out she touched his cold cheek, crying softly. His expression was stilled, fear written clearly across the handsome features. She followed where his glassy eyes were trained on.  
And threw up.  
She remembered the sound of something being skinned and could not believe her eyes. Her mother, beautiful, kind, loving woman, staked to the wall by her hands and shoulders. From the neck down, was bright red flesh, her guts spilt to the floor. Her facial expression was solemn as if she died peacefully.  
Viv felt her blood run cold, the sobs that racked her body as she stared between her dead parents. She was alone. She didn't even know how to protect herself now. She had no other family to look after.  
And how was she going to survive the coming winter? She hugged her dolls to her chest, crying loudly and begging for the Mother to keep her safe or something. She was now lost. "Mama!" She screamed, "Papa!" She curled up beside her father, clinging to him and whimpering. She cried, and cried, and cried until her throat was raw and only ragged gasps came from her.  
She had stilled, the beginnings of frostbite started to work its way through her bare feet and hands. She knew she was going to die, and she had to accept it. She could not fight it anymore.  
There was nowhere to go.  
No one to call for help.  
It was just her and the two wooden dolls, depicting her mother and father. She simply closed her eyes and fell asleep, letting the sinister darkness that settled inside claim her.


End file.
